Synthesis and characterization of Zn and Yb co-doped hydroxyapatites

Biomaterials science is a branch of science where great progress is being made today and studies on the development of new materials that can interact with and adapt to the biological environment are currently ongoing. Hydroxyapatite (HA- Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), which is included in bioceramics evaluated within the scope of biomaterials; It is one of the materials that stands out for its high biocompatibility and bioactivity level and its similarity to bone structure, for processes in this scope and is widely used in biomedical applications due to these properties. Within the scope of this thesis, zinc (Zn) and ytterbium (Yb) doped hydroxyapatite (HA) samples were synthesized by wet chemical method. These synthesized samples were named as 0.33Zn-0.33Yb-HA, 0.33Zn-0.66Yb-HA, 0.66Zn-0.33Yb-HA, 0.66Zn-0.66Yb-HA, respectively. The effects of doping hydroxyapatite (HA) with zinc (Zn) and ytterbium (Yb) on the electronic, radiation shielding, structural, thermal, surface morphology and spectroscopic properties were investigated comprehensively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy results showed that the produced samples had functional groups belonging to HA structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed that all samples had HA phase. Experimental characterizations including X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of co-doped HA samples. Changes in lattice parameters, crystallinity and morphology were also observed due to Zn and Yb incorporation. Linear absorption coefficient (LAC) calculations showed that Zn and Yb co-dopants could increase radiation protection capabilities. Biocompatibility assessments revealed that co-doped samples exhibited lower cell viability compared to undoped HA. However, lower co-doped concentrations showed reduced toxicity, making them potentially suitable for medical applications.